By Philip Manyok
For a while, many South Sudanese have voiced their criticism about President Kiir indecisiveness in how he appoints candidates for public offices. This began when he appointed his first cabinet following his inauguration as president on July 9th, 2011. Some of the critics argued that he appointed some candidates to oversee ministries that they have don’t have the credentials and/or experiences that justified their appointments to such positions or ministries. Of course, I have my reservation like everybody else, but, who am I to question the president’s wisdom and/or judgment about who he sees fits to what office.
As I remembered, most of the people president Kiir appointed to serve on his cabinet were those who fought alongside with him during the old good and bad days of the liberation struggle. There got to be something he saw in them that prompted him to appoint these men and women to his cabinet. Despite all previous criticism of the president on his cabinet appointees, it seems like his critics will have less or nothing to say about Dr. Francis Deng’s appointed as South Sudan Permanent Representative to the United Nations but praises.
So, let me join in applauding president Kiir in his decision to appoint Dr. Francis Deng as a Permanent South Sudan Representative to the United Nations. President Kiir by making this appointment has given South Sudan a voice at the United Nations. He has chosen the right man for the right job and I hope people start seeing good intentions in president Kiir instead of constantly blaming. First of all, he is a man who went to the bush twice beginning with Anya Nya I to SPLM/A. He is a man who loves South Sudanese and spent his life fighting for it. Second, if he has made small mistakes here and there. Give him a slack. He is a human like everybody else.
You may blame him but never question his love of the country. He has already proved that by his sacrifice of which he tirelessly endured the hardship of the bush life like any other of his comrades.President Kiir’s love of South Sudan is what he again once shown by appointing a competent scholar with an extensive background to represent South Sudan at the United Nations. Without doubt, this appointment is going to give South Sudan a chance to tell her story to the world. And who is better to tell that story than the only renowned scholar, Dr. Francis Deng.
A man who held different high profiles positions in the old Sudan and has served in the best institutions in the world. For those who know little about Dr. Deng, he served as Sudan minister of the state for foreign affairs, ambassador to Canada, ambassador to the United States, Sudan representative to Scandinavian countries, served as Special Advisor to the United Nations Secretary General on Genocide prevention. More importantly, he has written extensively about Sudanese issues as well as on global issues.
A fellow at the Brookings Institute and has taught in American’s prestigious universities including Yale University, Columbia university, and Georgetown university among others. His career list is endless but all pointed to one thing, competency and experience.How lucky we are as South Sudanese to have such experienced and knowledgeable competent scholar among us. Thank you president Kiir for having at last recognized the importance of the position of South Sudan’s Ambassador to the United Nations. And thank you Dr. Francis Deng and now a South Sudan Ambassador to the United Nations for taking up the challenge. Your country has faith in you. Our president Kiir has trusted your stewardship to represent us at the United Nations to tell our story to the world. We wish you great luck. We are counting on you sir….. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Phillip Manyok holds Bachelor in Political Science, Bachelor in Metaphysical Humanist Science, Master in Metaphysical Humanistic Science, Master International Relations and is a 4th year PhD student at Nova Southeastern University studying Conflict Analysis. He can be reached at pm3.kanago@yahoo.com